


over the phone

by bananannabeth



Series: things you said when... [10]
Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, set during the first MCGA book
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-28 02:43:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13261956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananannabeth/pseuds/bananannabeth
Summary: Annabeth calls Percy before Magnus' funeral.





	over the phone

 

“What do you mean you aren’t coming back to New York yet?” Percy’s voice drifted down the line, confused and concerned.

 

Annabeth twirled a loose curl around her finger and sighed. “I can’t leave Boston, Percy. Not yet. Magnus needs me -”

 

She expected him to protest, to ask her how she could blow off school, how she could ignore him, but Percy surprised her by instead asking, “Is your dad staying with you?”

 

She shifted, resting one of her feet against the cold cinder block interior wall of the church she was leaning against. “No, he’s going back to California tonight, after the funeral. Magnus said I can’t tell him he’s still alive… Not yet, anyway.”

 

“Okay, so your dad is going to leave you alone in Boston after the funeral you’re having for your cousin who isn’t actually dead.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“The cousin who you saw standing over his own dead body.”

 

“Yes, Percy.”

 

“Annabeth, come on. That’s weird, even by our standards, you have to admit.” Percy sounded agitated on the other end of the line. She pictured him pacing up and down his small kitchen.

 

“Could be a fake body,” she said, chewing on her thumbnail.

 

“You don’t think it is,” he said, easily interpreting her tone.

 

“No, I don’t think so. Which is just all the more reason for me to stick around! He’s definitely a demigod, he never knew his dad and he said that Randolph had told him some stuff about our family history -”

 

“Does Randolph know you’re a demigod?”

 

“No… I don’t think he does, anyway. Hard to say for sure when I haven’t seen the guy in ten years, and Dad’s too wound up by Magnus’s ‘death’ to talk about anything like that.”

 

Percy huffed, probably running a hand through his hair. “Annabeth, I don’t like this. I’m going to come stay with you.”

 

She straightened, glaring at the wall opposite her. “You will not. I’m more than capable of looking after myself, Percy, and Sally needs you there -”

 

“I know you can take care of yourself, Annabeth, but we always work better as a team. Mom’ll be okay with Paul for a few days -”

 

And here came the part Annabeth had been dreading. “But that’s the thing, Percy, I don’t know if this will be over in a few days. I don’t know how long I’m going to have to wait for Magnus.”

 

There was some muffled cursing on the other end of the line, as though Percy had pulled the phone away from his mouth to swear. When he next spoke into the receiver his voice was tight and constrained. “Annabeth, you can’t just hang out alone in Boston for an indeterminate amount of time waiting to figure out what’s going on with your cousin. That’s not a plan.”

 

“Since when have you ever needed a plan?” she countered, somewhat snidely.

 

“You’re not me,” he said, close to a snap. He caught himself and sighed, and all the fight left Annabeth at the sound. “This isn’t how you work, Annabeth. You’ll go mad waiting to hear from him, and without any more information there’s nothing you can do in the meantime. And if something does go wrong, if monsters track you down, you’re on your own. Even if you do meet up with Magnus and he is a demigod, he obviously isn’t trained, so he won’t be much good in a fight.”

 

She rubbed her eyes tiredly. A part of her desperately wanted to tell him to get on the next train to Boston, to come stay with her, that they could work it out together. But instead she said, “Okay. What if we compromise?”

 

“Compromise?” Percy asked warily.

 

“Just give me a few days to see if I can find out anymore information, or to hear back from Magnus, and if I don’t find anything you can either come here or I’ll come home.”

 

He paused, considering her offer. “Just a few days.”

 

“Mhmm.”

 

“And you’ll call and Iris Message whenever you can?”

 

“At least twice a day, morning and night.”

 

“You promise?”

 

“I promise.”

 

Percy sighed, clearly not completely happy. “Deal.”

 

Down the hall, one of the doors swung open, letting in a blast of cold air and a few arrivals for the funeral. Annabeth’s dad was at the front of the group, looking exhausted and sad. He met her gaze, questioning, and she waved a hand to let him know she was fine.

 

“I have to go, the funeral’s about to start, but I love you.”

 

“I love you, too,” Percy said, and she smiled instinctively. “Be safe. And remember, just a few days.”

 

“That’s the deal. Be safe, give Sally a hug from me.” Annabeth hung up and tucked the phone back into her jacket pocket, making her way over to where her dad waited.

 

He smiled sadly down at her, and Annabeth’s stomach twisted with guilt. She really hoped Magnus wouldn’t need a few days to get back to her.

 

 


End file.
